Water scarcity and drought, climate change, land degradation and biodiversity loss are key drivers of current and future global crises. We must act on all these interconnected crises concurrently.
The world has a choice. Either we continue with the current nature-destructive path and lose up to half of the global GDP by 2050, or we take a sustainable land management approach, which gives us the chance to generate 50% more wealth by mid-century.
The economic returns of restoring land and reducing degradation, greenhouse gas emissions and biodiversity loss are estimated at US$125 to $140 trillion every year. That’s about 1.5 times the global GDP in 2021 ($93 trillion). The possibilities for business to drive change are unlimited. The choice is ours.

The challenges facing the planet are immense and growing. The United Nations has led the global effort to raise awareness and affect action with its Sustainable Development Goals, a call for action by all countries—poor, rich and middle-income—to promote prosperity while protecting the planet. VISION by Protiviti caught up with Ibrahim Thiaw, Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, during COP27 in Egypt—officially the 27th gathering of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)—to discuss the biggest threats the planet faces, their economic impact and specifically what the global business community can do to help solve these challenges. Baris Karapinar, leader of the ESG and Sustainability practice for Protiviti Switzerland, conducted the interview.

Ibrahim Thiaw
Executive Secretary
UN Convention to Combat Desertification

Ibrahim Thiaw is Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). The Mauritanian brings 40 years of experience in sustainable development, environmental governance and natural resource management. Thanks to his extensive experience, Thiaw is well-poised to lead the global effort on land restoration, build drought resilience; and improve food security, gender equality and land rights for vulnerable populations. Before joining UNCCD, he was Special Adviser to the Secretary-General for the Sahel, where he supported the implementation of the United Nations Integrated Strategy for the Sahel (UNISS) and the development of a UN Support Plan for the Sahel. From 2013 to 2018 he served as Assistant Secretary General and Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). In this role, he shaped UNEP’s strategic vision and mandate, oversaw the development and implementation of the mid-term strategy, and strengthened collaboration with governments and global environmental governing bodies. Before that, Thiaw was the Director of UNEP’s Division for Environmental Policy Implementation, and he also served as the Regional Director for West Africa, and later Acting Director General of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Karapinar: Can you talk about the United Nations and its 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the 17 goals adopted by all United Nations Member States back in 2015? The United Nations Convention to Combat Deforestation (UNCCD) is the Custodian Agency for Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 15, “Life on Land.” How would you say we’re progressing on those goals?

Thiaw: The international community agreed in 2015 to prioritize and work together on 17 goals in order to steer the world on the path towards sustainable development by 2030. Goal 15 concerns life on land. UNCCD is actually custodian of a specific target: Achieving land degradation neutrality. This target measures the progress being made to have as much healthy land by 2030 as we did in 2015. Progress is measured in terms of changes in three areas—degradation does not take place on new land (avoid degradation); the loss of productive land slows down (reduce degradation); and degraded land is made healthy (restore degraded land). The expected result from 2015 going forward is to maintain—and hopefully increase—the amount of healthy and productive land available to present and future generations. The disastrous impacts of extreme events such as floods, droughts and wildfires on land make achieving these targets ever more challenging.

Karapinar: Of all the challenges and threats facing the planet and humankind today, which are the direst and in need of the most immediate action?

Thiaw: Arguably, three top the list: Climate change, biodiversity loss and the loss of productive land. Water scarcity, drought, climate change, land degradation and biodiversity loss are key drivers of current and future global crises. Already, up to 40% of all land has been degraded. The loss of soils and the accompanying land degradation are a threat to the livelihoods and security of over 3 billion people. Half of the world’s GDP depends on terrestrial ecosystems staying healthy and productive. The global economy will lose a whopping $23 trillion (US) by 2050 through land and soil loss alone if we continue with business as usual. Repurposing $4.6 trillion of our investments to protect our productive base and secure the production of healthy food could guarantee our prosperity while protecting our planet. Humanity is at a crossroads. We must act on all these interlinked crises concurrently.

Karapinar: The UNCCD does a lot of policy work on drought. The “mega” drought that has enveloped southwestern North America for the past 20+ years has made the region the driest since at least the year 800, according to a new UCLA-led study. How worried should we be about the impacts of drought on our societies, economies and businesses?

Thiaw: Droughts have always been a part of nature and the human experience but are now much worse. The impacts we are witnessing around the world—in Africa, Europe, China, Australia and the United States—remind us that no country or region is immune. Droughts are up 29% since 2000. That means, instead of a major drought occurring every 10 years, we have one every six years, on average. What’s more, droughts are lasting longer and are more severe. By 2050, drought may affect over three-quarters of the world’s population. Between 5 and 6 billion people may be living in areas where severe water shortages occur at least one month each year. Drought is a hazard, made worse by climate change, but many of its disastrous impacts can be contained by anticipating and preparing for them, which will allow us to respond adequately and recover when they strike. We will need to move from a reactive response to a more proactive approach to drought, including stress testing and drilling to prepare ourselves. READ further from the source above